A is for Assassin
by denise1
Summary: My very first story, and it shows


A is for Assassin

By

Denise

"Jack, are you sure we can't look for a bridge?"

"Daniel, this is a deserted world.  Where are we gonna look?  No people, no one cares about crossing this creek, so no bridge." Jack turned in a circle to illustrate the deserted nature of the planet.

"Daniel, it doesn't even look that deep."

"It's not the depth I'm worried about Sam, I just don't want to spend the next 3 days with squishy boots."

"I gotta agree with him there Colonel."

"Look guys, I hate wet boots too but we do only have three days here.  The more time we spend looking for a non-existent bridge, the less time Danny has to look at his rocks."

"Artifacts."

"Whatever."

"OK, OK we'll cross here."

"I just knew you'd see it my way," Jack quipped.

Daniel watched his friend and team leader wade into the waist high water expertly holding his pack, rifle and sidearm over his head to keep them dry. 

SG-1 gated to P9Y831 after the UAV showed a rather Goa'uldish structure about three kilometers from the gate.  There were no other signs of life but this place stood a remote chance of being Kheb, so General Hammond authorized a mission. 

As planets go, P9Y831 was better than most.  Daytime highs in the 80's and nighttime lows in the 60's.  If you ignored the purple sky, blue vegetation and 38-hour days, it was just like home.  Daniel followed the lead of his two teammates and lifted his pack and sidearm over his head as he waded into the grayish water.

Teal'c brought up the rear of the small group.  Taking a cautious look behind him he carefully waded into the water.  He felt his larvae, or Junior like O'Neill liked to call it, give an odd twist as a few drops of the water seeped into his pouch.

Jack O'Neill was sitting on a convenient tree stump pouring water out of one of his boots when he heard the splash.  He dropped the boot and raised his gun in one smooth movement.  Major Samantha Carter also swung around raising her gun at the sound. 

Both of them were surprised to find Daniel safely on the bank and the normally coordinated Teal'c floundering in the water.

"Teal'c...You OK?"

"I am unharmed O'Neill."

"Teal'c I'm surprised.  Normally Daniel goes for a swim."

"I'm not that clumsy," Daniel protested.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Daniel, Dr. Frasier's ready to designate you your own personal bed in the infirmary."

"You OK?" Jack asked a dripping Teal'c cutting off the good-natured banter.

"I merely lost my footing."

"OK kids. Let's go check out Danny's building," said O'Neill as he finished putting on his soggy boots.  Danny was right...He hated wet boots.

They spent the next hour it took to get to the temple in companionable silence, occasionally broken by a joke or a question.  After more than three years together all four members of SG-1 operated like cogs in a well oiled if strange machine.

Colonel Jack O'Neill, the leader of the group and second in command of the SGC was a military stereotype, at least on the surface.  Due to him serving several years in Special Forces and Black Ops there were very few people in the Air Force who knew every aspect of his service record.  Hell even Jack couldn't and often really didn't want to remember every mission.

He first met Dr. Daniel Jackson when the young man had been recruited to translate some Egyptian artifacts.  That translation turned into an intergalactic trip to another planet, the discovery of humans who had been kidnapped from Earth millennia ago, their first encounter with a parasitic race called the Goa'uld who have tried repeatedly to destroy Earth and resulted in the formation of the Stargate Command or SGC.  Not to mention Daniel's marriage to an Abadonian wife, her subsequent loss to Apophis as a host for his wife Amonet and the search for her and Apophis' child. 

A child who might hold the information the SGC needed to defend their planet from total destruction or enslavement by the Goa'uld.

One positive result of their mainly fruitless search for Daniel's wife Shau'ri was Teal'c, a Jaffa warrior who, after spending fifty-plus years in service to Apophis, was now a trusted ally. God it still gave Jack the creeps every time he thought about the infant Goa'uld Teal'c carried in a pouch in his belly.

Dr. Major Samantha Carter was the only other military personnel on SG-1.  She spent years both officially and unofficially trying to figure out the whole Stargate network.  Once they found out there were hundreds, possibly thousands of stargates dotted throughout the galaxy, it was Sam's program which allowed them to account for millennia of stellar drift and discover countless other planets to explore. 

At first O'Neill was hesitant about having another scientist in his team and a woman at that, but he soon discovered the major wasn't your ordinary scientist.  During the last three years she had proven herself more than capable of taking care of herself and had been through some experiences that Jack knew he wouldn't have handled so well. 

The worst was when she had been possessed by a Goa'uld. OK Tok'ra.  Jack didn't see much of a difference. A snake by any other name and all that. 

He still had nightmares of those days when the body of his friend had been under the control of one of those damned aliens.  He sometimes woke up in a cold sweat remembering the sight of the petite blond officer speaking with the voice of Jolinar. 

They almost lost her that time.  An Ash'rak or assassin did its very best to kill Sam and Jolinar.  In fact only the sacrifice of Jolinar had kept the young woman alive.  The information and abilities she retained from her time as a host had made her more valuable to the SGC.  He would never tell her but there were times he marveled at her ability to mesh the abilities and memories of two very disparate entities.

The group approached the base of the temple.  They had stumbled across a worn path, which may have once been a major walkway, but now was just a narrow trail where the dirt was still too hard packed to allow anything to grow. 

About fifty feet from the temple the footpath turned into a stone walkway.    Tall bluish yellow wild grasses grew between the stones.  They waved in the breeze reminding Jack a bit of a rippling ocean. 

Jack swallowed convulsively, if he had to spend too much time here he'd be hunting for the Dramamine.

They walked cautiously up to the big main doors of the temple.  Fortunately after three years they no longer had to stop Daniel from barging into every ancient structure they found.  Carter and Daniel took positions beside the door.  Jack met Carter's and Teal'c's eyes.  At their small nod he pushed open the door, dropping to one knee in a smooth practiced movement.  Though it was dim inside he knew the structure was deserted.  Abandoned buildings had a certain mustiness about them.  Just to be sure he swept his flashlight around the room.  If the smell didn't convince him, the small piles of debris scattered about the room confirmed the derelict state of the temple. "Clear," he reported.

Carter, Teal'c and Daniel entered the temple.  Sam and Teal'c began to walk the perimeter of the room while Daniel made a beeline for the altar set against the far wall.

"Colonel, there's a passageway over here."

Jack looked at Daniel. The young man was running his fingers over the hieroglyphs muttering to himself as he attempted to translate the ancient writings. "Well, he's gonna be a while.  You and Teal'c go check it out."  Carter nodded and O'Neill watched the two head through the doorway.  Jack walked back to the dais.  "So Danny, what's it say?"

"Huh?"

"The walls."

"Oh well it's definitely Egyptian...here's Ra, Heru'ur and ..." he said pointing to each symbol in turn.

"Hathor," said O'Neill with uncharacteristic venom in his voice.

"Aah...yeah."

"So whose place was this?"

"Could be any or none of the above."

"Maybe a nice quiet family retreat.  A place to go when the pressures of conquering the galaxy get to be too much."

"Uh...maybe.  Maybe a hideout."

"Sweet."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Teal'c cautiously proceeded down the hallway.  Sheets of dusty cobwebs fluttered a bit in the breeze caused by their passage.  Dust motes danced in the beams of their flashlights. "This is right about when the monster pops out," muttered Sam.

"Major Carter?"

"Nothing Teal'c, I've just been watching way too much late night TV."  The passageway came to an abrupt halt.  "Whoa," cried Carter as her booted foot stepped into nothing. 

She was saved from an unceremonious crash to the floor by Teal'c's hand grasping the back of her vest and pulling her back. "Thanks," she said as she shone her flashlight to reveal a small flight of steps.  "Guess the first step's a doozy."

"Indeed."

They descended the steps, shining their lights around the chamber.  The narrow beams revealed what once had been a bedroom.  In the corner on a dais were the remains of a large bed.  Despite apparent centuries of neglect the sheen of gold and gilt reflected back in the dim light. "Oh this place is definitely Goa'uld. I recognize the decorating style. Early ostentatious." 

Sam began to walk around the room.  Beside a tattered bed, equally decrepit robes hung from golden pegs in the wall.  At least she assumed they were robes, in many cases only the elaborately beaded collars remained hanging.  Under each peg and partially hidden by small heaps of decaying cloth fancily beaded shoes sat on the floor.  The shoes were in better shape than the robes; tannic acid had a way of discouraging curious nibblers. 

Along the far wall, a gem encrusted pitcher and basin sat on a teetering wooden table.  Sam whistled through her teeth as she picked up the pitcher.  "You know, this set would be rent for a few years and a new car."  Getting no response from her companion Sam swung her light around.

"Teal'c, find something?"

The Jaffa had laid his staff weapon on the floor and was kneeling, reaching under the moldering bed.  Sam watched him pull a small leather chest from under the bed.

"Teal'c?" Sam walked towards her companion.  He opened the case almost reverently.  "What'd you find?" She repeated.

A creepy odd feeling began to make itself known in Sam's stomach.  She ignored it and peeked over her companion's shoulder.  "Wow, definitely Goa'uld.  He must have split in a hurry if he left his toys behind," She said looking at the chest.

 In it were a ribbon device, a healing device, about eight small knives and a ring. She bent down to pick up the ring.  "Hey this looks like the ring the Canon had back on ... wherever."

"No," said Teal'c sharply as her grabbed Sam's left wrist in a firm grasp.

"Teal'c, what are you doing?"

"It may not be safe to touch it," replied Teal'c.  Sam didn't hear the rest of his explanation; her eyes were locked on the sight of his hand holding her wrist.  She turned her gaze to the back of his neck.  Her surroundings faded as a tiny remnant of Jolinar screamed for attention. 

Since she had been blended with Jolinar, Teal'c always gave her a bit of the heebie jeebies.  In the past two years she had trained herself to ignore the feeling but now...this was different.  This was like the nauseous feeling she had when Apophis or Hathor had touched her.  The feeling was so intense, she almost blacked out. "O...OK...no problem...Look I'll just go check with the Colonel." Sam tried to pull her wrist from Teal'c's grasp. 

"You are going nowhere Tau'ri," he snarled in the unmistakable dual voice of a Goa'uld. Teal'c turned to look up at her, his eyes glowing ominously.

"Who are you?" /OH crud!/

"My name in unimportant.  You will escort me to the chaap'pai and give me the coordinates of Earth."

"If you have access to Teal'c's memories, you know I won't do that." Teal'c twisted Sam's wrist bringing her to her knees with a gasp. "Take me or I will snap your wrist like a twig." Teal'c threatened as he ripped the GDO from her wrist.

"Teal'c fight him.  Take control.  Use Junior..aah."  Teal'c twisted her wrist again.  She felt the small bones in her wrist pop out of place, her watchband broke and it fell to the floor. /I've had enough of this./ Sam brought her right arm around and slammed the flat of her hand into the bridge of his nose.  She felt the snapping of the bone and  the warm gush of blood.  Teal'c released her wrist to grasp his damaged face.  Carter scrambled back, her movement hampered by cradling her left arm in her lap.  She struggled to pull her 9mm from its holster. "COLONEL!" she screamed as she tried to pick Teal'c's shape out of the darkness.  She heard a whistling noise and gasped as she felt a sudden pain in her left shoulder.  In the muzzle flash of the two shots she squeezed  off she saw Teal'c's back disappearing into a hidden door under the clothes pegs

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack was sitting on the edge of the dais watching the flickering shadows on the walls.  He and Daniel had lit three large braziers using a supply of fuel the last inhabitants  left behind. 

Daniel was ecstatic since the extra illumination revealed the details in the large mosaics on the walls.  He was walking around taping the images and trying to connect the gods. 

After dealing with these creatures for three years even Jack could recognize some of the images.  Maybe he'd camp outside tonight.  It was hard to sleep while staring at  thirty-foot representations of Ra and Hathor.

"COLONEL!"

Jack heard Carter's scream and jumped to his feet.  He met Daniel's shocked gaze.  Sam Carter wasn't the screaming type, something was very, very wrong.  Jack cocked his MP-5 and started toward the passageway.  Daniel drew his sidearm and fell in behind him.  

Jack  cautiously felt his way down the dark passageway.  He heard two 9mm shots and saw the muzzle flash illuminate a room about ten feet away.  He crouched down and motioned to Daniel to do the same.  Jack cautiously looked into the room and took in the scene. 

Two flashlights were lying haphazardly on the floor.  There were scuffmarks in the layers of dust.  The room was mostly bare just a dilapidated bed, a small table and a pair of boots.  Jack snapped on his flashlight. "Carter? Hold your fire, we're coming in."  Jack stepped down the stairs and into the chamber.  He swept his gun, making sure there were no surprises.  He walked in front of the woman sitting on the floor her back against the wall.  He took in the sight of  his major cradling her left arm in her lap, blood running from a knife wound in her left shoulder and the muzzle of her sidearm pointed at his head.

"Whoa." Jack immediately let his MP-5 drop and raised his hands in surrender.  He saw recognition dawn in her eyes as she lowered her gun.

"Sorry."

"It's OK.  What happened?" he asked dropping to his haunches in front of her. "Where's Teal'c?"

"Through the wall."

"What?"

"A secret passage I guess."

"Who attacked you?"

"Teal'c."

"WHAT?"

"Colonel, he's  a Goa'uld."

"Sam you mean..."

"No Daniel, I mean he's a Goa'uld, glowing eyes and all...Maybe not totally.  The way he was talking I think Junior is prohibiting the Goa'uld from total control. He wanted me to give him coordinates of Earth...like he didn't have total access to Teal'c's memories."

"What happened?"

"We were looking around, Teal'c pulled a chest from under the bed, there was Goa'uld stuff inside."

Jack looked behind him. "Where is it?

"He must have taken it."

"What was in it?"

"A ribbon device, a healing device, I think a ring like the Canon had and some little knives."

"Like that one." Jack pointed at the one still imbedded in Sam's shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Ya know, we gotta pull that thing out."

"Uh Huh."

"How big were those things?" asked Jack as he began to probe the injury.

"Uh three or four inches long, almost too short for a real use ...OW!"

"You're right," he said holding the bloody blade in the beam of his flashlight.

"That wasn't fair," Sam complained.

"We'll patch you up, get through the gate and bring back help to track down Teal'c."

"We can't do that."

"Carter..."

"No Colonel. Teal'c took the GDO." Jack looked at Sam's bare wrist cradled in her lap.

"Oh for crying out loud!"

"Jack, without the GDO we're stuck here."

"Daniel, Ya think?"  Jack stood up laying the knife in the table and thought for a moment.  "OK, plan B, Danny, you patch up Carter and the two of you hang out here.  I'll go after Teal'c and see if I can get the GDO back.  If it doesn't work, you guys wait 48 hours then head to the gate.  Hammond'll send help when we're overdue."

"Colonel, we don't know how long Teal'c's been blended.  The longer it's in him, the more control he'll lose."

"Yeah Carter, tell me something I don't know."

"You might as well take his staff weapon.  You'll stand a better chance against the ribbon device."  Jack nodded and picked up the weapon.  "48 hours kids."  At their nods Jack turned and walked back to the main chamber.  He rummaged through the supplies, took some food and one of the first aid kits and stepped out into the gathering night.

"Well Daniel, I don't know about you but this room gives me the creeps." Sam started to get up off the floor.  Daniel immediately stepped forward and took her right hand to help her to her feet.  He picked up the discarded flashlights and Sam's watch.

"We'll go back to the main chamber and I'll dress that wound.  How's the wrist?"

"I don't think it's broken.  He just twisted it good."

"We'll splint it just to be safe.  Watch out for the steps."  They walked down the passageway into the main chamber.  Daniel led Sam to the edge of the dais and she sat down.  He walked over and began rummaging through his pack for the first aid kit.  "You know, this thing seems to get bigger with every mission."

"Doc Frasier keeps adding things every time we bring back a new bug.  Daniel you do know what to do?"

"Sam I spent years on digs hours away from help.  I've patched up almost everything short of surgery."

"Come near me with a scalpel..."

"So...um...ah..." Daniel waved his hands sort of helplessly.  Seeing the source of his embarrassment, "Help me out of this jacket, will ya?"  Sam struggled to unzip the vest and jacket one-handed.  Daniel forgot his embarrassment and helped his teammate strip down to her black T-shirt.  He pulled the neck of the shirt aside and saw the wound.  It was about an inch and a half long right under her collarbone.  "It isn't too deep, but it looks kinda red."  Daniel was using a gauze pad to clean away come of the blood.  "This'll sting a bit," he said as he dabbed iodine on the wound.

"Actually it burns."

"That's just the iodine."

"No it burned before." 

Daniel was taping a bandage over the injury.  "Maybe it's infected.  Some antibiotics might help.  Are you allergic to penicillin?"

"No just mix em with some ibuprofen."  Daniel finished with Sam's shoulder and moved to wrapping her swollen wrist.  "Can you move your fingers?" 

Sam gingerly wiggled the digits in question. "I think something's just dislocated.  I felt something pop when he twisted it."

"We'll put it in a sling just to be safe."

"You know Daniel, you're pretty good at this."

"Maybe all the time I spend in the infirmary is rubbing off."  Daniel helped Sam back into her jacket and tied her left arm in a sling.  He handed her three pills and the canteen of water. 

"I don't know about you but first aid makes me hungry.  What did the Colonel leave us for dinner?"

"Doesn't matter, it all tastes like chicken."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX        

You...I hurt her.

_She would have killed us._

She could have killed us when she sensed your presence but she did not.

_It doesn't matter.  She would have stopped us._

I will stop you.

_Stupid Jaffa. You think an infant can stop me?  I was feared when your race lived in caves.  Give me the address of your home world...Chulak is it?_

I...will...not

_Then you will know never-ending pain._  A scream echoed through the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack was grateful for the triplet moons as he followed Teal'c's trail.  This was too easy.  His mind  screamed trap.  Teal'c's flight into the wilderness was leaving such an obvious trail even Maybourne could follow it.  Jack figured either Teal'c had a bit of control left and was deliberately making  a trail or the three beings in Teal'c's body were each fighting for dominance. 

This wasn't going to be easy.  On any given day Teal'c was more than a match for him.  Now his usual superhuman strength was augmented by the control of a Goa'uld.  O'Neill figured he'd be lucky of he survived.  If some deity was in a benevolent mood, he just might hold his own.  O'Neill hefted the unfamiliar weight of Teal'c's staff weapon and continued tracking his errant Jaffa.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So Daniel...who's our host?"  Sam and Daniel were sitting in the main chamber.  They had just finished eating their MREs.  Daniel looked around the chamber at the mosaics on the walls.

"I'm not sure.  There's Ra, Hathor, Heru'ur..."

"The whole first family."

"Right. The only thing is none of the figures are dominant.  And I've never seen this snake motif so prevalent."

"Snake?"

"Yeah. In every picture there's a snake." Daniel got up and pointed his flashlight beam at the small black snake in every frame. 

"Snake? Could it be Apophis?"

"No.  In fact there's no mention of him at all. Also there's no traditional name of a god here.  Just the word Asp."

#

_"Jolinar, I have some bad news."  Jolinar turned away from the vista in front of her.  She and Martouf were on the uninhabited forest  planet Laurentia.   Jolinar had just recently been blended with Rosha.  Martouf had taken them away so they could have some privacy as he helped Jolinar's new host deal with centuries of new memories._

_"What happened?"_

_"I just checked with Selmac...We have lost three operatives."_

_"How?"_

_"They were murdered...by an Ash'rak."_

_"My gods, what a horrible way to die...the hara'kash...it is a beastly invention."_

_"It wasn't a hara'kash, it was the Asp."_

_"The Asp?"_

_"This Ash'rak likes to be different.  He does not use the torture ring, he uses small throwing knives...poison knives."_

_"But a symbiote protects the host against poison."_

_"Usually, but Asp has spent centuries perfecting a poison that will kill both host and symbiote.  We must go...Selmac will need our help."_

#

"Sam?...Hello?...Earth to Sam..."

"Huh?"

"Where were you?"

"Laurentia."

"Where?"

"With Jolinar.  Look, this Goa'uld...the Asp...it's an Ash'rak."

"Ash'rak...like what killed you...aah Jolinar."

"Right."

"But we didn't find his ring."

"This one didn't use a ring.  He preferred poison knives."

"Poison?"

"Hence the name."

"W...wait a minute."  Daniel grabbed a flashlight and went down the passageway to the bedroom.  He returned gingerly carrying the knife Jack had pulled from Sam's shoulder.  He examined it more intensely now than he had before.  He suppressed a shudder at the sight of Sam's blood still on the blade.  The handle was inscribed with small delicately carved snakes.  As he looked at it more closely he noticed a greenish black stain on the blade under the coating of blood.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Sam got up and walked over to her companion.

"Sam, what do you know about poison?"

"Not much."

"Do you think a poison could still be poisonous after a few centuries?" he pointed to the stain on the blade.

"Maybe not too poisonous or I'd be dead by now."

"It would account for the infection though.  Who knows what kind of biological agent Asp created."

"We need to warn the Colonel.  He thinks he's going after a normal Goa'uld not an assassin."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure this is the trail?"

"Daniel, tracking two of the four people on the whole planet is rather easy."

"But we've been going in circles."

"Yes and so have they." 

Looking at his companion Daniel suggested, "Let's take a breather."

"Sure." Sam dropped onto a rock and reached for her canteen.  Daniel watched her drink the water with an almost desperate thirst.  He was worried.  Last night her sleep had been restless and this morning when he changed the dressing the wound  had been an angry red.  He gave her more of the antibiotics but they seemed to have no real effect. 

When they left the temple this morning, Daniel made sure to carefully wrap the knife in a plastic sample bag and bring it along.  Assuming they made it back to Earth Janet would need it to try and make an antidote.  The stillness was abruptly broken with the sounds of weapons fire.

"That way," Sam said pointing off to their left.

"Sounds like a staff weapon."

"He must have found Teal'c."

"But the trail goes the other way.  What do we do?"

"Let's forget the trail and go towards the weapons fire."

 Daniel shook his canteen. "We better get more water next stream we see."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Man this feels good." Sam was dipping one of Daniel's ever-present handkerchiefs in the stream and using it to bathe her sticky skin.  "I'd almost pay to jump in." 

Daniel looked up from the canteens he was filling upstream. "I know the feeling.  I'm dying for a shower right about now." Daniel dropped in the water purification tablets and screwed the lids on tight as he stood up.  He looked at Sam noting the spots of color on her pale cheeks.  "You're running a fever you know."

"Yeah. Not much I can do about it."

"How's the shoulder feel?"

"Like it's on fire. Got more of those pills?"

"Sure."  Daniel dug in his pack.  A flash of movement caught his eyes.  "Whoa...did you see that?"

"What?"  Sam looked up at the man standing beside her.  Suddenly he grabbed her by her collar and pulled her back from the stream.

"Daniel...what the hell?"  He kept dragging her away from the stream. 

"DANIEL...STOP!" He let her go.  "What's wrong with you?"

"Look." Daniel pointed toward the stream.  They saw small white fish jumping out of the water and flopping helplessly on the bank.

"What the hell?"  Daniel helped Sam to her feet and they gingerly stepped forward.

"Oh my God... these aren't fish."

"They're Goa'uld."  Sam pulled her knife and stepped on one of the creatures. It was writhing on the ground, its jaws snapping at the air.  She probed it with the blade.  "Or not. Look they're similar but not exactly like the larvae or mature Goa'uld we've seen."

"What, cousins or something?"

"Or something."

"Uggh...close enough.  Let's get away from here."

"Daniel this explains a lot.  Asp must have needed creatures to experiment on.  These were his lab rats."

"But where are the hosts?"

"Face it, humans are relatively easy to kill.  The resiliency comes from the symbiote."

"That still doesn't explain how Teal'c got a Goa'uld...I mean a second one."

"He didn't have it before we gated here. I stood right beside him in the gateroom.  I would have sensed it." A look of horror played across her face. "Oh God...the creek."

"He fell in the water."

"Maybe as a reaction to being blended. Water is the symbiote's natural environment.  It's possible a Goa'uld could survive in a water system after losing it's host."  Daniel took a few careful steps forward and retrieved their fallen canteens.  He handed one to Sam.  "I think I'm gonna pass on that swim."

"Yeah me too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

/This shit's gettin old./  Every few hours Teal'c would stick his head out of the cave.  Sometimes he would take a shot with his ribbon  device.  Sometimes he would just look out, checking to see if O'Neill was still there and alert.  Every so often Jack would fire off a blast with the staff weapon, just to keep Teal's off his guard.

Jack's body was screaming for rest.  In the past 36 hours he'd had about 30 minutes of sleep.  The lack of sleep on top of way too much walking and a firefight with his favorite alien made Jack a very unhappy camper.  To top it off he couldn't build a fire, cold MREs sucked and thanks to that damned creek his feet were still cold and wet.  He figured he had at least 48 more hours of this ahead of him before he could even hope for reinforcements.  Jack knew he had two options, wait Teal'c out, hope he didn't miss him emerging from the cave, fall asleep and wake up dead.  Or he could beard the lion in his den.  Going hand to hand with the Jaffa in close quarters was tantamount to standing in front of the gate when it whooshed.  Only this was bound to be a LOT more painful. / God this planet sucked!/

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I do not want to harm my friend.

_Friend?  He is Tau'ri._

Yes, but he is honorable.

_Honor, bah what does a Jaffa know about honor?_

I know the honor of looking  a person in the eye as I kill them, not hiding behind poison.

_My poison allows my victims a choice_.

Choice?

_Yes choice.  Do you think a woman as vain as Cleopatra wanted to die by the hara'kash or by the blade.  No she wished to preserve her beauty even in death.  She called for me and died by MY blade. What else  have you been told of me Jaffa?_

I have heard tales of the assassin who strikes in the night.  Your name was greatly feared among Apophis' allies.

_Really?  Apophis was afraid of me?_

Indeed.

_It is time for the Asp to return.  You will take me back to the chaap'pai and take me to Apophis' base.  He will be my first victim._

I will not.

_Jaffa you will do as I command or you will suffer as no Jaffa has suffered_.  With those words Asp activated the pain centers of Teal'c's brain.  He collapsed to the floor of the cave futilely holding his head in his hands trying to make the pain go away.  This was pain like he had never felt before.  It made the agony of the insect bite he once suffered seem as trivial as a splinter.  Just as he felt his heart strain and begin to fail, Asp released him.  He remained lying on the ground too drained to move.  A single tear ran from his eyes to drip in the dust.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A rustle behind him woke Jack with a start.  Cursing he swung around.  Somehow Teal'c must have gotten by him.  Dammit.  Jack cocked his MP-5 and increased the pressure on the trigger.  He blinked into the rising sun and tried to make his gritty eyes focus.  The brushes parted and the sun illuminated a mop of blond hair...blond...wait a minute.

"Don't shoot!" the figure cried, raising her hand in surrender.  Jack lowered his gun with a curse, "Son of a ...I thought I told you two to stay put."         

Carter and Daniel dropped to the ground beside Jack.  "We would have sir but we found out something about the Goa'uld in Teal'c."

"He's an Ash'rak."

"An assassin?"

"Yeah, his name is Asp.  We think Teal'c got infected when we crossed that creek.  We found a stream full of creatures very similar to the Goa'uld."

"If Asp's host was killed, it's possible the symbiote survived in the local water system."  A movement caught Carter's eye, "Colonel." Jack turned to see Teal'c emerge from the cave carrying the chest.

"O'Neill, you will let me pass."

"Now you know I can't do that."

"O'Neill you will let us go or someone will get injured." 

"Maybe he'll listen to me."  With that Daniel stood up.  "Teal'c?"

"Your friend is not here now."

"You're who I wanted to talk to anyway."  Daniel pulled the plastic wrapped knife from his pocket and held it up.  "This is quite an accomplishment, a poison that kills both Goa'uld and host.  We could  use some of this stuff.  I know a few Goa'uld I would like to stick it to." 

Teal'c held up his left hand adorned with the ribbon weapon. "You mock me Tau'ri.  Many have died for less."

"Hey, hey, hey, nobody's dying here." Jack stood up beside Daniel.  Sam was slowly moving to get behind Teal'c.

"You.  This host has respect for  you."

"Teal'c, didn't know you cared.  Look...Asp...We have things in common...You kill Goa'uld, we kill Goa'ulds..."

"You go too far Tau'ri!"  Teal'c fired his ribbon device sending Jack and Daniel scrambling for cover. / My meager kingdom for a Zat gun./

"Daniel get to cover!"

"Ignore your little friend Tau'ri...You die first."  Teal'c was stalking towards O'Neill firing blasts from his ribbon weapon at the retreating figure of Jack.

"TEAL'C STOP!"  Dirt and stones sprayed in Jack's face.  "DAMMIT TEAL'C!  DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT YOU!"  Teal'c stood over O'Neill, the red crystal on his palm began to glow.  Jack flashed back to when Sam had smashed Seth into the ground.  /Man this is gonna hurt./  Suddenly Teal'c fell to his knees.  Jack watched Daniel strike Teal'c's back with a thick branch.  Danny was swinging like Sosa.  He hit Teal'c a third time.  The Jaffa fell to his hands and knees.  "Danny, get away from him!"  Daniel hesitated.  With a bone chilling roar Teal'c raised himself up and fired his ribbon device point blank at Daniel. 

Jack watched horrified as Daniel flew back about 20 feet to land in a still heap.  "You son of a..." Jack raised his sidearm aiming at Teal'c's heart. 

"NO!" screamed Carter.  She was running toward the duo.  "COLONEL, GET BACK!"  Sam ignored the pain in her wrist as she jammed the ring on her finger. /Please God let this work./  She touched the ruby crystal in the center of the ring.  The sky darkened as clouds boiled.  Hoping her scattered Tok'ra memories were correct she poured all her grief and rage into the ring.  A bolt of Zat lightning struck the ground at Teal'c's feet.  He fell, unconscious as the shock wave knocked Jack and Sam to the ground.  As quickly as it had begun, the sky cleared and the reddish sun shone in the violet sky.

 Jack struggled to his feet and scrambled over to Daniel.  "Come on Danny boy. Give me a sign." He felt for a pulse. 

"Colonel?" San knelt beside him.

"He's alive but barely."  Jack winced at the sound of Daniel's ragged breathing.  "From the sound of it he's broken up inside."

"He won't make it  will he?"  Jack grimly shook his head. "In the chest...the healing device."

"Can you make it work?"

"One way to find out."  Jack got up and ran over to the discarded chest.  He picked up the small device and brought it back to Sam.  She held out her right hand and he slipped it on.  She turned and held her hand out over Daniel.  Jack watched her close her eyes and try to slow her breathing.  /Come on Sam,  if you can cure that jerk Cronos, you can fix Danny./

_Remember, relax, let the power flow...you have the will in you...fix him...don't let him die...channel the energy...yes! _

When Jack saw the device work he closed his eyes in a moment of thankful prayer.  Jack opened his eyes to see the small cuts heal themselves and the bruises fade before his eyes.  Daniel's breathing changed from a ragged death rattle to the even deep breathing of a sleeping child.  Abruptly the device turned off.  Sam slowly opened her eyes and let her hand drop to her lap.

"Good job."

"Huh?"

"It worked." Jack pointed to the healed Daniel.

"Right."

"Hey, you OK?" 

She nodded. "Just a little woozy.  Not used to this."

"I ah...I gotta to restrain him...somehow." He pointed to Teal'c lying on the ground.

"Please. I don't want to do this again."

"How did you...?"

"The ring in the chest," she pointed to the ring still on her left hand. "It looked like the Canon's ring and I gambled it would stun him like it did us before."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack, Sam and Daniel were sitting around a small campfire.  They were all too exhausted to even think about dragging the unconscious Jaffa back to the temple.  Jack had searched Teal'c, removing the ribbon weapon but found no trace of the GDO. Even when he did wake up there was no guarantee Asp would tell them where it was.  Teal'c was still unconscious and Jack had tied him to a tree.  The Jaffa was extremely resourceful and the last thing SG-1 needed was to have to track him down again.

"What about Machello's little slugs.  Those would drive Asp out."

"And kill Junior."

"We'll use the antidote like last time."

"That antidote was proteins in my blood.  Thanks to the poison my blood chemistry's all outta whack. We'd probably kill him."

"Surgery?"

"And have him end up like Kowalski? No way."

"Wait a minute...Thor."

"Danny he threw you twenty feet, you're gonna be sore."

"Wha...no, not sore...THOR...the Hammer."

"But the Asgard programmed it to let Teal'c pass."

"Right.  Him and Junior.  But not Asp."

"Do you think it can distinguish between Junior and Asp?"

"I don't see why not.  It's a different entity."

"He won't go willingly."

"Hell, we'll just get  Carter to zap him again."

"Colonel, I don't know if I can activate the ring again."

"Sure you can. Just get ticked off again." Sam shot him a look. / Yeah sure I can.  Why don't you try it buddy./  "Look the SGC's at best 72 hours away and I don't think we can keep him subdued that long.  And we need to get you some real medical help.  Let's go to Cimmeria and see if the Hammer can help him.  If not we'll get back in time to get rescued.  Danny, you want first watch?" 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They broke camp shortly after dawn and headed toward the gate making sure to pack up all of Asp's belongings.  Still dazed and tied, Teal'c was led forward.  They reached the gate and Daniel dialed up Cimmeria.  O'Neill marveled at the kid's memory.  It was all he could do to remember the stupid astronomical designation given to the planets they visited, he swore Danny had dozens of addresses memorized.  That knowledge had saved their butts before.

They emerged on Cimmeria.  Unlike last time there were no signs of battle, no bodies lying about, just a peaceful pastoral setting.  And just like the first time, they were scanned.   The beam lingered on Teal'c.  Jack jumped into the beam and the two men vanished. 

"Deja-vu, huh?"

"Yeah, but I'm not wasting my time looking for them."  Daniel looked at Sam's paler than usual face. 

"Let's find Gairwin."  Daniel pointed toward wisps of chimney smoke in the distance.  Olaf found them a bit later and led them to the village.  He took them to Gairwin's home where they were welcomed with open arms.

"Well met Daniel, Samantha.  What brings you here?"

"Actually we were looking for help."

"How can we help you?"

"Teal'c was infected with a Goa'uld.  We came here hoping the Hammer could drive it from him."

"But Thor said he would let Teal'c pass."

"We're hoping it will let him but not the new Goa'uld."

"I hope you are right.  If not he will die in the maze.  That is out of our control.  However we can help you." She looked toward Sam.

"I don't think..."

"Sam, it's worth a try."

"OK, sure."  Sam stood up.  "Daniel," she said weakly and collapsed.  Daniel dashed forward to catch her before she hit the floor.

"This way."  Gairwin led him out of the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack and Teal'c materialized in the same room as last time and were greeted by the same message from Thor.  /Some thing never change./  Thank God Teal'c was still stunned.  Jack was counting on Teal'c hiding the memory of their last trip through this maze from Asp.  Jack was in no mood for a fight.  Right now he was short of time and patience.  They had to make it back to P9-whatever in time to meet the rescue party. 

They hadn't talked about it but Jack suspected Sam was running out of time.  From what Daniel told him she'd been running a fever for days.  On their way to the gate she had definitely been struggling.  Hell the simple fact she didn't protest when he suggested she needed help spoke volumes about just how bad she felt.  He prayed Teal'c would retain some of Asp's memories like Sam had Jolinar's.  Hopefully knowledge of an antidote.

"Move." He prodded the bound Jaffa with the business end of the staff weapon.  /Oh crud. Let's hope he doesn't remember the weapon won't work in here./

Four hours and three wrong turns later they arrived at the exit.  Fortunately the only thing that had changed was the absence of Unas.

Teal'c stopped in the middle of the room.  "Why do you bring me here Tau'ri?"

"OH just for kicks."

"Release me and I'll let you live."

"You're kidding right?  Walk," he ordered.

"I do not take orders from you."  Teal'c raised his foot and kicked the useless staff weapon from Jack's hands. Jack pulled and cocked his sidearm.

"I once promised to kill your host rather than allow him to become something else.  I'll honor that promise. Walk, NOW!"  Teal'c shot O'Neill a defiant look and instead took a step towards him.  Jack took aim and fired.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel paced worriedly in the healer's hut.  After Sam collapsed he had carried her here and laid her on a narrow bed.  He was shocked at the amount of heat radiating from her body.  Her skin was dry and her lips were beginning to crack.  He watched the healer remove the sling and the bandage from her shoulder.  The sight of the wound was sickening.  Some of the skin was turning a deadly black.  Gangrene.  A vivid red streak confirmed the diagnosis of blood poisoning.  The healer lanced the swollen wound and the fluid that drained out was a cloudy yellow. Sam began to writhe and moan as the pain penetrated her fevered mind.

"You must hold her."

"What?"

"Hold her down."  Daniel obediently knelt beside the cot, took Sam's right hand in his and curled his left arm behind her head.  He whispered calming sounds while trying not to look at what the healer was doing to Sam's shoulder.  He remembered comforting Shau'ri this way when she was in labor.

"Hurts," Sam mumbled.

"I know, ssh."  /Come on Sam, keep fighting./ There's always time for a miracle.  They'd pulled them off before. God couldn't be so cruel to let them survive all they had been through to let one of them die from a little knife wound.  / This sucked. /  If it had been a hand or leg, maybe she would have stood a chance, but having such a severe infection so close to the brain and heart...Daniel knew even if they gated back to Earth this moment, there was nothing Janet could do.  She was going to die.  The healer, Helga...that was her name, used a sharp knife to cut away as much of the dead skin she could.  She and Daniel took turns bathing Sam with cool water in an attempt to lower her temperature a bit.   "Dammit Jack, hurry up."  Daniel had no idea how he would face his friends if he had to tell them Sam was dead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The force of the blast knocked Teal'c from his feet.  Unable to use his arms, he fell back against  the stone wall.  Jack cautiously stepped forward.  Teal'c opened his eyes. 

"Dammit, why can't you just pass out?"

"O'Neill," gasped Teal'c.

"Are you you?"

"He is gone for the moment.  You must do it now before he regains control.  Use the Hammer."

"You know it may kill Junior."

"I would rather die..."

"...than become something you are not.  OK"  Jack helped Teal'c to his feet and led him to the portal. Teal'c took a step forward and abruptly stopped.  He turned and faced Jack with glowing eyes.

"You will not kill me Tau'ri."

"Oh but I will."  Jack tackled Teal'c pushing him through the Hammer.  The machine activated with an orange glow.  The muscles in Teal'c's body arched and strained like a patient on ER getting zapped.  Only this wasn't over in a second, it lasted and lasted. 

Teal'c opened his mouth in a scream, but the voice of Asp filled the air.  Jack watched in horror as Asp jumped from Teal'c's open mouth and fell to the floor.  Jack jumped clear and tried to take a shot at the beast.  A bright white light shot from the ceiling and struck the creature.  Jack heard one tiny scream then Asp was reduced to a small pile of smoking ashes.  Jack turned back to his friend.  Teal'c was lying on the ground.  Jack felt for a pulse and was relieved when he found it. /There's no way in hell I'm carrying him back./  Dark was falling and Jack resigned himself to another night of roughing it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gairwin finished talking to the healer and motioned Daniel to follow her outside. 

"Helga reports there is nothing more she can do.  She has never seen a fever like the one that rages in Samantha."

"She's dying," Daniel said, shoving his hands dejectedly in his pockets.

"Yes."

"My friends.  They need to be here.  Can you send someone to bring them here if they have exited from the Labyrinth?"

"I already have."

"Thank you."  Daniel  raked his hands through his hair and went back into the hut. If Sam was going to die, she wasn't going to be alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"O'Neill."

"UH...huh."

"I'm on Cimmeria."

"Yes you are."

"I presume you used the Hammer to drive Asp from me."

"Actually I just said pretty please.  How do you feel?"

"I will recover.  I would greatly appreciate being unrestrained."

"As long as you promise not to try to kill me."

"I will not."  Jack untied Teal'c's hands.  He noticed the bullet wound in Teal'c's shoulder was already beginning to heal.  "Looks like Junior's back on the job."

"Yes.  O'Neill we must make haste."

"Make haste where?"

"Where is Major Carter?"

"I'd imagine she is in the village with Daniel."

"It has been 72 hours since I attacked her?"

"There abouts."

"Then we have little time left.  The poison on the knife will kill her."  Teal'c got to his feet and began to leave the Labyrinth.  "Wait," Jack put a restraining hand on Teal'c's arm, "Can you use that healing thingie?"

"No I can not.  My larval Goa'uld is repairing the changes wrought by Asp.  I will not retain any of his abilities like Major Carter retained Jolinar's."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel was keeping a vigil beside Sam's bed.  In the past few hours her feverish moans had stopped.  She hadn't even stirred when Helga had lanced the wound again.  It was just a matter of time now.  He heard the door open and squinted into the midday sun flooding the darkened room.  Two figures walked into the room.

"Oh God"

"Jack?"

"Yeah."  Jack and Teal'c walked into the room.  Jack was shocked at the sight of Sam lying motionless on the bed.

"She's dying." Jack's stomach dropped at the despair in Daniel's voice.

"Gairwin said the healer..."

"Bought us some time.  There's gangrene and blood poisoning.  Even if we could go back now, there's nothing Janet could do."

"Home isn't an option.  Teal's destroyed the GDO rather than let Asp get it."

"DanielJackson is correct.  Dr. Frasier can do nothing.  There is no antidote to the poison."  Daniel looked up at Teal'c and was shocked by the sadness and guilt in his brown eyes.

"Teal'c YOU didn't do this.  ASP did."  Jack bent over and touched Sam's cheek.

"I'd kill for a sarcophagus right about now."  Daniel saw hope dawn in Teal'c's eyes.

"Asp had one."

"What?"

"There is a sarcophagus hidden in the temple."  Jack picked Sam up in has arms, "Danny, see if we can borrow some horses, gain some time.  Teal'c, grab the  gear."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They emerged on P9Y831 on foot.   The horses balked at wormhole travel.  The men took turns carrying Sam back to the temple.

Teal'c marched through the main chamber and into the bedroom.  He grasped one of the clothes pegs  and gave it a twist.  'Come on, hurry up,' thought Jack.  During the last hour he had noticed Sam's breathing getting shallower and less frequent. The dais the bed was on slid aside revealing a circular stairway.  They descended into a chamber.

"My God, it's his lab,"  breathed Daniel looking at the tables and shelves filled with bottles and jars, beakers and burners.  Some  contained colored fluids but others had preserved Goa'uld corpses floating in them.  Teal'c pressed another switch and a golden sarcophagus rose from the floor.  The top panels slid open revealing a glowing white interior.  Jack felt Sam take one last breath and go totally limp as he laid her in the sarcophagus.  He stepped back and watched the machine swallow his friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Safe...peaceful...it didn't hurt anymore...the poison being drawn out...the bones settling back to their proper places...the swelling in her wrist shrinking...but no pain...floating on a cloud...cool water...breathe...feel her lungs expand...energy flowing through her...she was alive again._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam opened her eyes and tried to focus on the unfamiliar sight  in front of her...actually it was above her... a ceiling...this wasn't her house or the SGC...it was made of stone.  A head popped into view.

"Daniel?"

"Welcome back." 

Sam sat up.  A sarcophagus? /So this is what they look like on the inside./ Her memory tugged at her.  She raised her right hand and felt her shoulder. The pain and burning was gone.  She peeled away the bandages and felt smooth, healed skin.  She flexed her left wrist.  It was still loosely wrapped in a splint but it didn't hurt anymore.  She met Daniel's eyes.

"Yep, all fixed," confirmed Daniel.

"What happened?"

"How much do you remember?"

"Umm...Cimmeria I think."

"The Hammer worked.   Asp is toast but just as we got to Gairwin's village you collapsed.  That was two days ago.  Teal'c remembered this thing and we barely got you back in time."  Daniel patted the edge of the sarcophagus fondly.

"Where's the Colonel and Teal'c?"

"They went to the gate to meet the rescue party.  They should be back any time."  Sam nodded.  She stood up and Daniel helped her out of the sarcophagus.  She unwrapped her wrist as she took a look around.

"Why do I feel like I'm in a gaudy remake of Frankenstein?"

"This was his lab." 

Sam took a close look at some of the specimens. "Creepy."

"Tell me about it."

"I hate to sound ghoulish  but we might find a weapon against them here."

"Jack had the same idea.  Once we get back he's going to get Hammond to send SG-6 back.  Kelley and Martin are the two best biochemists we have.  If there's a way to use this stuff, they'll find it." 

Sam nodded. "This place gives me the willies, let's get outta here." 

Daniel agreed and they climbed the stairs and went back to the main chamber to wait the others return.

It was a short wait.  About an hour later Jack and Teal'c emerged from the tall grass leading Colonel Makepeace and SG-3.  Daniel saw the look of relief that crossed Jack's face.  Daniel knew he'd never forget the look of utter hopelessness that was on Jack's face during their vigil beside the sarcophagus when he admitted it hadn't been Sam but her dead body they laid in the machine.  Even the normally placid face of Teal'c had paled.

"Hey, look who's up and alive.  How ya feeling?" /Thank God that machine worked./

"Good as new."

"Major Carter I am glad to see you well."

"So am I Teal'c. You know now you're gonna have to teach me how to throw those knives."

Teal'c inclined his head. "I would like to apologize for harming you."

"Teal'c, I know more than anyone it wasn't YOU who hurt me.  Anyway I broke your nose so I think we're even."

"YOU broke HIS nose?" Makepeace looked comparing the petite major to the big Jaffa.

"I was wondering where all that blood came from."

"It was either that or shoot him," Sam admitted sheepishly.

"If anyone shoots a member of my team, it'll be me."

"Yeah, thanks to Junior there's not even a scar."

"YOU shot HIM?" Makepeace looked from Jack to Teal'c.

"Seemed the thing to do at the time."

"Jackson, what'd YOU do to him?"

"Actually...I ...Ah...whacked him a few times with a branch."

"YOU hit HIM?"

"It wasn't my fault.  He was trying to fry Jack with a ribbon weapon."

"Since when can you use one of those?" Makepeace asked Teal'c.

"Since he got a Goa'uld."

"He's always had a Goa'uld."

"Not a goa'uld...a Goa'uld." Makepeace and SG-3 looked at Teal'c in dread.

"NO...NO...NO...It's gone," Daniel hurried to reassure them.

"How?"

"We took him to Cimmeria."  Makepeace held up his hands in surrender and addressed his team, "I want you guys to remember this next time you think YOU got it bad.  Marquart, got any aspirin handy?" Makepeace walked back toward his team.

"Let's blow this rock.  Daniel..."

"Uh, Jack."

"Danny?"

"What are those?" Jack and Makepeace followed Daniel's pointing finger.

"Oh shit."

"Deathgliders."

"How the hell?"

"O'Neill, why is it every time I come after your sorry ass we get shot at?"

"Just lucky I guess. Every body back to the gate, NOW!"  SG-1 and 3 dashed for the cover of the trees.

"Maybe they don't know we're here."

"Why else would they attack a deserted planet?  Target practice?"

"Maybe we triggered an alarm in the temple?"

"Ya think?"

"Wait a minute."

"Danny, we don't have a minute."

"Look. They're only attacking the temple."

"That doesn't mean they'll ONLY attack the temple.  Let's go before they figure out we're here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The group approached the gate.  The sounds of  the bombing had faded but no one wanted to press their luck.

"Looks deserted."

"Could be a trap."

"Only one way to find out. Cover me." Jack cautiously made his way to the DHD and began to dial home.  Seeing no sign of pursuit he waved the others forward.  The wormhole opened and Makepeace sent the GDO.

"Ladies first." he waved.  Sam, Daniel and Teal'c, then Lewis, Marquart and Reynolds went through. 

"After you colonel," Jack offered.  "Thank you colonel." Makepeace crossed the event horizon.  Jack took one last look around and walked to the gate.  He heard the unmistakable whine of a death glider. "Oh for crying out loud!"  He dove through the gate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He forgot to roll.  He knew better.  Jack hit the ramp face first, literally.  

Blood began to gush from his nose.  "Close it up," he yelled.  The iris spun closed and Jack just sat there, trying to stem the flow of blood.  Dr. Frasier stepped forward and held some gauze pads to his face. 

"This has got to be one for the record books colonel.  Two days overdue from a  deserted planet and SG-1 comes back with  a bloody nose."  Her eyes sparkled with amusement.  Jack saw Makepeace and SG-3 trying to hide grins.  Daniel and Sam were openly chuckling and he swore he saw Teal'c's lips twitch.

"Hey don't want you getting lazy Doc."

General Hammond walked into the embarkation room. "Welcome back SG-1 and SG-3.  Colonel O'Neill would you like to explain being two days overdue?"

"Well general, in short, this whole mission was one giant pain in the asp."

XXXXXfinXXXXX


End file.
